Welcome to NDP
Our aim is to make your career with us enjoyable and rewarding...
Our agency is based on principles of professional standards, fair pay, accountable management, conservation and equality. We look to you to help us maintain and develop these principles. Our success depends on it.
We have a policy of transparent communications: on agency performance; on your performance; on information about your job and terms of employment. We encourage you to tell us your view too - it’s how we improve the agency as well as your skills.
We want all of our staff to have an equal level of advancement, access to opportunity, and the training they need. We want you to tell us how you want to develop and how we can help - so speak up.
This handbook describes our general working methods and the rules of the partnership. Here, we aim to provide context to the working space around you. A little bit of history, what we’ve learnt, and how we apply it. We want you to read it.
Our mission
Use our unique methodology to deliver excellence in web thinking, engineering and production and become the UK’s most successful Drupal agency...
We’ve created an agency that is different - focused on delivery rather than an ability to please. We’ve created a methodology, rather than just trying to make clients happy. What we learnt is that to make a client happy, you need a great product.
So we don’t follow industry trends - we’ve taken traditional values of professionalism together with data analysis to create a production system that values and nurtures creativity as much as it drives efficiency and reliability.
Our values Simplicity
We believe simplicity beats complexity hands down.
Where others hide behind complexity, at the cost of the client, we break it down with layer after layer of simplicity - in our language, documentation and our processes.
Client requirements restated as a sequence of easy to understand documents
Modular design, with components that can be grouped and used in different ways
Project plans with activities and deliverables batched into small testable units
Simplicity - heroes & zeros
We create our own specifications, based on the client’s requirements. These documents are called the ‘document stack’. Don’t work to client-provided documentation!
All our documents follow a standard layout. Using standardised templates guides our thinking, ensures consistency, and helps others to quickly understand what’s going on. Don’t create your own document types!
Always use plain English and avoid techno speak. If you don’t understand something or someone, say so straight away!
We use Basecamp to centralise all of our communications and Project Reports to summarise and manage the current scope. It isn’t in scope if it isn’t in the Project Report!
Our values Quality
For us, product quality is the measure of success.
Our culture of QA uses clear requirements, drives team ownership and efficiently delivers ‘zero tolerance’ of defects.
Ensure a high degree of conformance with each round of deliverables
Reduce client frustration and time wasted on backtracking and snagging
Provide insight and enable continuous improvement of production processes
Quality - heroes & zeros
Everything that leaves the studio goes through QA. Don’t find a reason to circumvent QA! - even for draft submissions.
Allow for the time it takes your work to go through QA. Don’t just drop into QA because you are out of time!
Know the standards you are working to - read our Zero Defects guide. Don’t start work if you don’t what you will be measured by - previous deliverables, documents and standards.
Know your role in QA when you assess the work of others. Don’t sign off if you can’t deliver their work with your budget!
Our values Methodology
To run great projects, you need more than Agile, you need insight.
We use data-driven micromanagement to create visibility, and drive team understanding and cooperation.
Provide estimates and delivery timings that are reliable and accurate
Identify issues quickly and reassign them, avoiding hidden delays
Provide reports that are accurate, helpful and updated in real-time
Methodology - heroes & zeros
Follow the production schedule and deal with tasks in the order shown. Don’t just sit there if you have nothing to do! - always make your status visible.
If the task you are working on looks like it might overrun - notify the Project Manager straight away. Don’t leave the news until the end!
If you are stuck, notify troubleshooting@ and ask to be moved on to other work. Don’t burn budget going round in circles or waiting for help!
Log your work accurately at the end of each day. Don’t leave the project managers in the dark, timely logging is not optional!
Our values Professionalism
We believe that professionalism is the rigorous application of our values to everything we do...
...and the key to attracting clients, as well as recruiting and nurturing the best staff**.**
Ensure consistency of purpose, quality and cost across everything we do
Create trust between everyone involved, across the team and with the client
Deliver a unique digital agency culture, based on pride in product and process
Professionalism - heroes & zeros
Our values only work if we apply them all the time. Don’t create exceptions! - if you can’t make them work, escalate the issue to management.
Be mindful of the standard values of professionalism - honesty, politeness and clarity about your skills.
Don’t undertake work that you cannot deliver professionally! -whether through lack of documentation, substandard work by others, unrealistic time-frames or lack of support.
If your ability to be professional is compromised - you must say so. Don’t let the behaviour of others undermine your work. - know the difference between honest feedback and finger pointing.
Environment
We believe that businesses of all sizes are responsible for achieving good environmental practice and operating in a sustainable manner.
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy and operations. It is our priority to encourage our clients, suppliers and all business associates to do the same. Not only is this sound commercial sense for all; it is also a matter of delivering on our duty of care towards future generations.
Our policy is to:
Support and comply with the requirements of current environmental legislation and codes of practice.
Minimise our waste, and reuse or recycle as much of it as possible, including electronic waste.
Encourage the use of public transport, cycling, walking and car sharing as appropriate.
As far as possible purchase products and services that do the least damage to the environment and encourage others to do the same.
Assess the environmental impact of any new processes we intend to introduce in advance.
Effectively communicate with employees, suppliers and clients regarding the environmental impact of our operations.
Our progress will be reviewed regularly. Each year, we update our Environmental Policy in consultation with staff, associates and clients.
Resources
We use Google docs throughout - they are searchable and allow us to move new thinking into production seamlessly: training guides, presentations, templates, crib sheets, job descriptions and more.
People
Our most important resource - professionals - just like you.
This is an organogram showing everyone in the agency and what they do. Everyone has a job description. Find your own, then read the job descriptions for others.
You are welcome to add comments to leave ideas and suggestions. You can also find our seating plan here.
Meetings
Timetabled, planned and ad-hoc - know what they’re for and who’s in - and help us to evolve their purpose.
There are agendas for all meetings. You can add agenda items using comments, even to meetings you do not attend.
Every quarter we have a company meeting presentation where we discuss our strategy and supporting tactics.
Every month we have a company training session where we cover a topic that is relevant to the quarterly strategy.
Guides
One for each role in the business. Read yours, own it, help us it evolve it - and help evolve other people’s roles too.
We have a set of Guides and How To's that include a Key Language Guide which provides best practice on communications, an Email Management Guide with best practice on email setup, and a Brilliant Writing Guide with hints and tips on how to write effectively.
The Anatomy of QA - Guide details how the QA process works.
Document templates
Google docs - access from anywhere, search everything, no need for versioning, full revision history, centrally-managed templates and style management - don’t use anything else.
We have document templates for everything. The banners are colour coded logos - blue is for consultancy, green is for production and red is for HR docs. The templates have notes on how to use them. If you can’t find an appropriate template – ask – don’t create your own. All these folders and files and more are in our shared company documents folder.
Consultancy
Key document templates
Site Audit - used by Developers when Consultants are evaluating a client’s site
Project Proposal - used by Consultants for assembling a project proposal
Project Contract - used by Consultants, has schedule of deliverables and payments
Production
Key document templates
Creative Brief - used by Information Architect and Designer in kick-off meeting with client
Prototype - used by Consultants and Developers to define prototyping phase
Build Plan - used by Developers to assess timings and plan a site build
Development Plan - used by Consultants or Project Director to brief Developers
QA Checkpoint Plan - used by Developers and referenced by QA to test development work
QA Report - used by QA to record outcomes throughout a project
Project Report - used by Project Managers when escalating project issues to a Partner
Trackers
We use business intelligence - plugged into data we extract from our systems - time logs, financials and more. Know the trackers that show your performance. Take a look at the others too - ask questions - get to know how they work and what they mean.
Google Tracker - marketing costs and leads generated
Bonus Tracker - team accountability and performance
Production Tracker - project management and scheduling efficiency
Staff handbook
This section answers questions about being an employee - induction, appraisals, benefits, health and safety and more.
Induction and appraisals
We run world-class induction programmes and drive progress and career development through goal-focussed appraisals.
Your induction programme is designed to help you settle in quickly. You will meet your new colleagues and you will receive information on the partnership, your terms and conditions of employment, partnership rules and health and safety.
We will provide you with an appraisal every three months. You get the opportunity to air your views and discuss your plans for development. We review your performance, your previous objectives and then set new objectives for the next three months.
Your working day
Start early, work efficiently, wrap up on time and enjoy your life.
Your normal hours are in your employment contract. Depending on trading conditions, the way in which you work these hours may be changed, and you may be asked to work extra hours on a week to week basis. You will be given reasonable notice of any change to your hours or any requirement to do overtime.
NDP does allow flexible working hours, but it is important that this is done in such a way that it does not inconvenience colleagues or clients. To that end, we require advance notification of how you plan to flex your hours so that we can plan accordingly and we reserve the right to ask you to work normal hours if needed. Some duties (e.g. reception) do require you to work normal hours, but again, with advance notice, we can accommodate some flexibility. If you are arriving late in the morning, we ask you to email arrival@ with the subject header ‘Running late - 30 mins’ so that people are aware.
If you work in production, you are required to log all your working hours. This is so we can understand how your time is being used and ensure that clients are billed and managed correctly.
Your wages, holidays and benefits
You get paid, sometimes you get sick, you live for your holidays - so read on...
Wages
Are paid at the end of each calendar month. Wages are paid directly into your bank or building society account at the end of the last Friday of the month. An itemised pay statement showing gross earnings, fixed and variable deductions and net wage will be given to you at the time of each wage statement. Your starting wage is that stated in your written statement of your main terms and conditions of employment. We will let you know of any subsequent changes to your wages, which are reviewed in your appraisals.
Holiday entitlement
This is that stated in your written statement of your main terms and conditions of employment. You must take your holidays between the 1st October to the 30th September. You will not be allowed to carry over holidays to the following year and holidays that have not been taken by the end of the holiday year will be forfeited. Holidays need to be requested through HRLocker. We approve this on a 'first come first served' basis so the earlier notice you give the more likely it will be that you will be able to take your holiday when you wish. We cannot have over 50% of the team your are part of off at any give time. Maximum length of holidays is 10 working days. Please do not make any holiday arrangements prior to receiving formal approval of holidays.
Working from Home
This needs to be requested at least 24 hrs in advance (requests from Production team members need to be sent to schedule@, everyone else need to request it from management@). In principle we are happy to accommodate these requests, especially if you feel like you need to focus on one task and could benefit from working in an uninterrupted environment. However, we need you to be available during working hours through the usual channels (on chat, available for a call, etc...).
Sick leave
If you are not feeling well enough to come into work then you need to notify either schedule@ or management@ (as relevant above). We cover between 0 and 15 days of fully paid sick leave per year, based on the length of your employment. 0 days within your probation period, 3 days after 6 months, 7 days after 1 year and 15 days after year 5. In case, you need to take more sick days, it will be either unpaid or Statutory Sick leave if qualified. Overview of SSP is here.
Doctor’s appointments
We do not require you to book it off as annual holiday / sick leave but we are happy to accommodate flexible working hours for the day (coming in late, staying late etc...). You can let us know if you have to attend a doctor's appointment and agree with schedule@ / management@ on flexible working hours. If you do not wish to work flexible hours, you will need to book this in as paid annual leave. If time is not made up & it is not booked in as annual leave, this will get booked in as sick, which might be unpaid leave.
Notes for Doctor's appointments and Sick leave for three days & over - in order to register sick leave for a minimum of three days (and to be qualified for SSP), we will need you to provide us with a doctor's notice. We might also ask you for a copy of your doctor's appointment bookings (especially if you need to make regular visits, so we can be aware of your condition and accommodate any additional needs).
Gym
We currently offer free gym membership to Nuffield gym. Please ask Renata, if we have not organised this for you yet and you would like to take part of it.
HR procedures
We respect your rights and we aim to be as professional as possible in all matters relating to HR.
From information on HR procedures, absence and termination of employment, see our HR procedures guide. Please also read our IT policy.
Your property
We try to look after your stuff, but we don’t own it!
We cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, your property whilst it is on our premises. However, if you lose or find any article please notify us immediately.
Health and safety
We take your wellbeing seriously, even if you don’t. Our aim is to minimise risks - both physical and through stress.
We firmly believe that adequate provisions for health and safety are essential to working life. The maintenance of healthy and safe working conditions and the prevention of injuries are not only of vital importance to the agency’s efficiency and success, but also in the best interests of all our staff and their families.
We aim to:
Ensure that you are aware of your responsibility for safety and the safety rules relevant to your job.
Provide up to date information about health and safety issues at work.
Our general policy is:
to provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities;
to consult with our staff on matters affecting their health and safety;
to provide and maintain safe equipment;
to provide information, instruction and supervision for employees;
to ensure all staff are competent to do their tasks, and to give them adequate training;
to prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health;
to maintain safe and healthy working conditions; and
to review and revise this policy as necessary at regular intervals.
Please also read our guide about correct workstation setup and posture about how to avoid RSI and related problems. Kevin is our ‘Posture Guru’ - talk to him if you have any questions.
The overall responsibility for this policy lies with the partners. Our office manager is trained in First Aid and Fire Alarm Marshalling.
Nearest Medical vicinities
Covent Garden Medical Centre
47 Shorts Gardens
London WC2H 9AA
020 7379 7209
Soho Square General Practice
1 Frith Street
London W1D 3HZ
020 3405 6570
No-appointment NHS clinic at:
Soho Walk-In Centre
1 Frith Street
London W1D 3HZ
020 7534 6500
Open Hours: 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and 10am-8pm Saturday & Sunday
The nearest Accident and Emergency Department:
University College Hospital (UCH)
235 Euston Road
London NW1 2BU
Fire evacuation procedure
In the unlikely event - we want to know that you know what to do.
In a rare case of an emergency please evacuate the building via nearest available exit, the building has two fire exit the second one can be found via the boardroom. The assembly point for evacuation is located in 59 Shorts Gardens, in front of the Travelodge hotel stairway opposite our office.
This is where the roll call procedures will be carried out. Please refer to the map below for directions or ask our office manager.
Equal opportunities
We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we want you to play a role in that success too.
Our policy is to treat all staff and job applicants fairly and equally regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, disability or union membership status. We also strive to make sure that no requirement or condition will be imposed without justification which could disadvantage anyone on any of the above grounds.
Our policy applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment. We regularly review our procedures and selection criteria to make sure that individuals are treated based on their individual abilities and merits. The overall responsibility for the policy lies with Simon Whittaker and Kat Elliott, and we also require you to comply with the policy.
Further information
Any questions you still have - just ask.
If you need more information or help in any way, all you need to do is send an email to [email protected].